Increasing drone incidents near US airports, stadiums prompt alarm, officials say
Those drone incidents have caused significant fly delays at times near major airports, said Steven Willoughby, a counter drone official with the Homeland Security Department, who told the Senate Judiciary Committee that in two instances drones collided with aircraft conducting critical response operations during emergencies in California and Texas this year.
Officials also raised concerns about the intentional use of drones for attacks, and also at major sporting events. Willoughby noted that since 2018, the Secret Service has tracked hundreds of drones violating temporary flight restrictions that protect the president and others.
He added that in the last six months of 2024, over 27,000 drones were detected within 500 meters of the US southern border. Senators and administrative officials said Congress needs to change laws to toughen penalties for drone use and to give federal agencies new expanded authority to address malicious drones.
Justice Department officials said at the hearing drones raise serious threats to mass gatherings but said the FBI can cover only a fraction. 'FBI's covered events represent only 0.05% of the over 240,000 special events' over recent years where counter-drone protection could have been authorized.
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First Post
17 minutes ago
- First Post
Democracies snubbed, dictators courted: Inside Trump's embrace of Pakistan
US President Donald Trump looks on as a member of the media raises their hand, at the White House in Washington, DC, US, August 1, 2025. File Image/Reuters On July 31, 2025, Lara Loomer launched a broadside against billionaire Tom Barrack, President Donald Trump's ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria. Loomer, whose outside vetting of Trump appointees has led to waves of firings across his national security bureaucracy, pulled no punches. 'His [Barrack's] appointment to high-level diplomatic posts is alarming, given that his primary expertise lies in leveraging political connections for financial gain,' she wrote. His actions have enabled Islamists to thrive, even at the expense of US national security. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD 'Barrack has a history of opaque financial dealings and what many view as political influence peddling,' she continued. 'His real estate empire, intertwined with Gulf investments, has long raised concerns about conflicts of interest and whether he is truly serving America or if he is flashing his political access.' She included in her tweet a copy of Barrack's 2018 indictment for acting as an unregistered foreign agent on behalf of Middle East interests. Barrack is the rule rather than the exception in Trump's inner circle. Many of the most influential people in the Trump administration have pre-service financial entanglements with Qatar. The US magazine Newsweek reported that, in addition to Trump himself, five major Trump administration officials have financial ties to Qatar: Chief-of-Staff Susie Wiles, FBI Director Kash Patel; Attorney General Pam Bondi; Middle East Envoy Steve Witkoff; and Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin. Democrats remain up-in-arms over Trump's acceptance of a $400 million jet from Qatar, alleging it amounts to a bribe; given Republican concern that a desire to influence motivates the $20 billion in assistance that Qatar provides American universities, it is hard to deny that Qatari money is not altruistic. For almost a quarter century, successive American presidents have cultivated relations with India. The development of US-India ties has coincided with perhaps the most contentious period in US foreign policy since the debate between isolationists and internationalists in the 1930s. Israel, Russia, NATO, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, and China each became political footballs. India, however, stood out as a rare example of bipartisanship. Every US president from George W Bush to Joe Biden worked to cultivate US-India ties. That commitment to a US-India partnership included Trump, at least in his first term. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD In his second term, Trump has staked out an opposite position. He approached Pakistani terrorism and its Indian victims with moral equivalency and even dined with Pakistan Army Chief Asim Munir, mastermind of the Pahalgam massacre, at the White House. Just as intelligence operatives recruit and compromise targets with either blackmail, bribes, or buffeting ego, so too did Islamabad handle Trump, telling him how much he deserved a Nobel Prize and entrancing Trump with notions of gas deals. The numbers do not lie. On July 31, 2025, Trump slapped 25 per cent sanctions on India, greater than Pakistan (19 per cent), Bangladesh (20 per cent), Sri Lanka (20 per cent), and Afghanistan (15 per cent). Trump treats India with disdain, belittling its economy and privileging countries like Pakistan and Sri Lanka that are Chinese satrapies and Bangladesh and Afghanistan that are hubs for Islamist terror. Each of those countries to which Trump offers better terms ranks well below India on Transparency International's annual corruption index. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD There is no proof that Pakistan, Qatar, or Turkey bribed Trump, though a commonality of Trump's two terms is the conflict of interest between public policy and personal business. Trump's reference to gas deals with Pakistan, his Qatari involvement, and his and Barrack's repeated endorsements of Turkish President Recep Erdogan are coincidences that no Indian should ignore, especially given the coincidences, Trump's policy choices, and the lack of any other logical policy-driven explanation. India must respond in the only way Trump will understand, by denying opportunities to American businesses until Trump or his successors change US policy and again ground it in a partnership of democracies and consensus against terrorism rather than a partnership with corrupt, terror-sponsoring dictatorships. Here, India's decision to abandon the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter makes sense. The US defence industry purposely spreads itself across states and Congressional districts in order to immunise itself from cutbacks by ensuring it always has several dozen, if not hundreds, of lawmakers willing to protect the corporate interest for the sake of their employees. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD According to the Congressional Research Service, F-35 components are produced across 250 different districts in 45 US states. The same pattern holds true with other platforms that the United States would like to sell to India. Cutting contracts makes single headlines, but sending diplomats to each Congressional district to explain why New Delhi made its decision will augment pressure on Trump, especially as midterm elections loom. Trump might even reverse course. While some politicians double down to save face, Trump knows no shame, and if the pressure is great enough, he might simply change policy and try to scrub his recent past in an Orwellian frenzy of sycophantic press and statements. This still leaves India with a problem in the short term: Given the threat China poses to India, some Indian politicians may wish to replace the F-35 with Russia's fifth-generation Sukhoi-57E; this would be a mistake, given Russia's failure to honour previous contracts. Rather, India might shift toward European aircraft until such a time that Trump departs and the United States can right its present wrongs. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Even if New Delhi abandons Lockheed Martin because Trump's antics have raised questions about American reliability, such systems represent not only a lethal combat platform but also a decades-long partnership of training and maintenance. Whatever animus New Delhi might have toward Washington, the long-term stability of Moscow remains a bad bet given the political vacuum that will develop after Putin's death. Trump treats India unfairly, but Trump is an old and, frankly, corrupt man whose time is limited. India will soon be the world's third largest economy; Trump's failure to recognise the benefits of that and the wisdom of choosing democracies over dictatorships and kleptocracies is America's loss. The current crisis, though, can be the stress test to prove the strength of US-India ties. Trump can become the exception that proves the rule. The US Congress still favours India over Pakistan, and every politician motivated more by national security than side business deals will remember which country sheltered Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and which country will drive the international economy through the 21st century. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Bribery can never provide a solid base for bilateral ties like democracy and mutual interests do. Pakistan, like Turkey, will ultimately fall into the dustbin of past American partners no longer worth a future administration's time and energy. India must fight back but should not go scorched earth out of animus toward a man for whom the curtain of power is already closing. Michael Rubin is director of policy analysis at the Middle East Forum and a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. Views expressed in the above piece are personal and solely those of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of Firstpost.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Trump's 25% tariff, penalties raise alarm: Indian exporters fear order cancellations; urgent support sought from government
AI-generated image Businesses are expressing worry about potential order cancellations from American clients, given the 25% duty on Indian products, which exceeds rates for rival nations like Bangladesh, Pakistan and Vietnam, alongside an additional penalty causing uncertainty. During discussions with commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal, various sector representatives, including textiles, steel, engineering and agriculture, reportedly requested swift implementation of an Export Promotion Mission, US market assistance, and interest equalisation for export credit. 'Exporters spoke about the adverse effects of tariffs. They want support,' said an official, quoted by Economic Times. Since August 7, the US will be implementing a uniform 25 per cent duty on all Indian goods, plus a penalty. This substantial duty could affect nearly 50% of India's US exports, which exceed $85 billion. A textile sector spokesperson highlighted that the 25% duty puts India at a disadvantage compared to competitors who face lower tariffs. Industry representatives indicated that a 20% rate could have been shared amongst importers, exporters and consumers, but the current 25% necessitates fiscal support, such as enhanced benefits under the Rebate of States and Central Taxes and Levies scheme. The textile sector warned about possible job losses, as America represents one-third of India's textile exports, with the higher duty potentially reducing business. "The US market is price sensitive with lower design elements. The impact will be visible on core sport items like T-shirts and home textiles from September when the peak season for textiles starts," the textile industry representative said, as quoted by ET. America was India's primary export market in fiscal 2025, with exports worth $87 billion, representing approximately 20% of the total $437 billion. "Had an insightful interaction today in Mumbai with leading industry captains from India's vibrant textiles sector. Discussed bold ideas to enhance global competitiveness, sustainability, innovation & value chain integration. Together, we're weaving India's rise as a global textiles powerhouse," Goyal wrote in a post on X. "Held a productive dialogue with major steel producers in Mumbai. Focused on ideas like advanced tech adoption, reducing logistics costs, increasing iron ore production, and expanding India's role in global value chains by making our MSMEs more competitive. Looking forward to a collaborative road map ahead to forge a resilient & future-ready steel industry," he added. Also read: Forced pivot from Russian crude oil after Trump's 'penalty' could cost India $9–11 billion- What analysts say Industry participants noted unclear penalty guidelines limiting orders and requiring incentives. Additionally, uncertainty about Russian import-related penalties and unspecified landed costs deterred buyers from placing orders. Stay informed with the latest business news, updates on bank holidays and public holidays . Discover stories of India's leading eco-innovators at Ecopreneur Honours 2025
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First Post
an hour ago
- First Post
While Trump imposes high tariffs, India dramatically increases energy imports from US
While US President Donald Trump is threatening to impose high tariffs on India, data suggests that New Delhi has dramatically increased its energy purchases from the US since Trump came to office in January. read more While US President Donald Trump is threatening to impose high tariffs on India, data suggests that New Delhi has dramatically increased its energy purchases from the US since Trump came to office in January. According to the data cited by The Hindustan Times, crude oil imports surged a whopping 51 per cent in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period. The energy commitment reflects New Delhi's bid to rebalance trade ties with Washington, DC, which has been one of the key demands of the Trump administration from India. The data also reflected that India's Liquefied natural gas imports have nearly doubled from $1.41 billion in FY2023-24 to $2.46 billion in FY2024-25. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD It is pertinent to note that this rise in energy imports followed a February Agreement signed between Trump and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the latter's visit to the US. At that time, both leaders committed to expanding energy cooperation. India went on to pledge to boost American energy imports to $25 billion from $15 billion in 2024, while bilateral trade is targeted to more than double from $200 billion to $500 billion by 2030. Indian companies tap into the American energy sector According to the data cited by The Hindustan Times, Indian purchases from America jumped 114 per cent to $3.7 billion in the first quarter of FY2025-26 from $1.73 billion in the same period the previous year. 'This trend is increasing further from July this year. So, in July 2025, India imported 23 per cent more crude oil from the US compared to June 2025. Also, in India's overall crude imports, while the US share was earlier only 3 per cent, in July that share increased to 8 per cent,' one of the people who analysed the data told The Hindustan Times. Not only this, American LNG has also emerged as an attractive market for Indian companies. 'Buying LNG from America is a very attractive proposition for many Indian companies,' said Prashant Vashisht, senior vice president at ratings agency ICRA, told the Indian news outlet. The jump came after Trump reversed former US President Joe Biden's pause on processing LNG export licences soon after taking office. Amid this rise, the US Energy Information Administration expects North America's LNG export capacity to double by 2028, with the US providing most of the increase. India's growing appetite for American energy is also coming at a time when the country is poised to become the largest driver of oil demand in the world. According to the International Energy Agency, India will surpass China as the major driver of global oil demand growth by 2030, with LNG demand expected to jump 78 per cent to reach 64 billion cubic metres annually.
